Folding-machine



(No Mode1.)' a sneeze-sheet 1. WA HESS, Jr FOLDING MAGHINE.

Patented Apr. 6, 1897. A

Nof 580,280.

(No Model.) 3 Shveets--Sheet 2.

w; HBSS, JL FOLDING MACHINE,

Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

fy-f

7 ,Uf I

ZU l A J A Zy bzawar.' In ,/n f@ 7@ (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W HESS, J r

FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 6, 1897'.

Eye); for:

U-NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VENDELL I-IESS, JR., OF TROY, NEW YORK.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,280, dated April 6,1897. Application lecl October 19, 1896. Serial Nol 609,282. (No model.)

To all whom it' 771,603/ concern:

Be it known that I, WENDELL Huss, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, haveinvented certain neviT and useful Improvements in Folding-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference maybe had to the accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, Which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures. v

Figure l of the drawings is a top plan view of my improvedfolding-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the brokenline 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the broken line 33 in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the upper part of themachine shown in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-section of thecam-plate and its slideway, taken on the broken line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig.6 is a plan view of a former for a cuif With a cuff-blank partly foldedupon the same. Fig. 7 is a View in elevation of one of the treadles foroperating the machine. Fig. 8 is a plan View of the former and fold ers,showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a further modi-Y cation.

A and A are similar beds or platforms connected by the bridge A2 andsupported by the standards A3.

Each bed supports folding mechanism adapted to cooperate with one ormore sides of a pattern-plate or former, Wherebya collar, cuff, or otherblank supported upon the bed may be folded or inturned along one or moreof its sides or edges, and the folding mechanisms on the several bedsare adapted to cooperate with a common former.

The former or pattern B is supported upon a rotary turret O, pivotallymounted upon the bridge A2 intermediately of the beds.

The former is attached to a frame B', hinged upon the turret at B2, andis adapted to be carried by the rotary movement of the turret to theseveral beds successively.

The turret and bridge are provided with mechanism for securing theaccurate disposition of the former upon thel several beds, comprisingthe latch C', pvoted upon the turret at C2 and adapted to enter and fitthe several slots C3 in the upper ends of posts C4, erected from thebridge and located on diametrically opposite sides of the turret. Thelatch is provided with a handle O5, by means of which it can be liftedand the turret rotated. The bridge also supports oppositely-projectingguide-Wings C6, having inclined or beveled upper surfaces leading to andfrom the several slots C3 and adapted to guide the latch to and from theslots. The Wings C6 also serve as guides for the former-frame andprevent the former from being brought against the bed in other than itsproper position. The former-frame is also provided With a handle C7, bymeans of which it may be moved upon its hinge to raise the former fromand lower it upon the several beds.

While the turret is bein g rotated the formerframe is supported in anelevated or raised position by means of the yielding spring-catch O8,supported upon the frame and adapted to engage a pin O9 on the turretWhen the frame is elevated. The nose of the catch is beveled to enableit to automatically ride upon and past the pin.

The folding mechanism supported by the bed A is adapted to cooperatewith the opposite sides only and that upon bed A' With the opposite endsonly of the former when the former is supported upon the respectivebeds.

The folding mechanism for the sides consists of a pair of folderscomprising plates D DQ adapted by their form and arrangement tocooperate With the former to fold or inturn the opposite side edges of ablank.

The folders on each side are secured to a movable support or carriageD2, mounted upon rollers D3, adapted to ride upon tracks or Ways D4,secured to the bed, the support being oscillatory upon the axis of therollers.

The neighboring ends of the carriages are provided with cam-followers orrollers D5, adapted to ride in the respective cam-slots D in thecam-plate D7, which plate is vertically reciprocatory iu a slideway D3,attached to the bed.

The cam-slots are so formed that a down- IOO ward movement of thecam-plate forces the folders, through their supports and the followers,inwardly to lap the side edges of the former supported upon the bed.

A continued downward movement of the Cam-plate, after the followers havereached the upper ends of the respective slots, imparts to the followersand oscillatory ends of the carriages a downward movement, which forcesthe folders down upon the underlying edges of the former or the inturnededges of a blank to press the same.

An upward movement of the camplate relieves such pressure and forces thefolders back away from the former.

Vertical movements may be imparted to the cam-plate in any known manner.

The folders upon bed A are adapted to co operate with the opposite endsonly of the former and comprise a plate E at each end of the bed, havingits inner edge of a form and size adapted to the form and size of theend of the former.

Each of the folders E is provided on its outer end with a pair ofoppositely-inclined surfaces E', adapted to be engaged, respectively, bythe wedges E2, which wedges are supported upon carriages E3, constructedand operated in precisely the same manner as the carriages or supportsD2 for the side-folders on bed A.

The wedges engage both the inclined surfaces and the top surface of theend-folders,' as shown in Eig. 2, so that as the operating cam-plate E4is moved downwardly it imparts to the wedges, through the followers E5and the wedge-carriages, first an inward movement against the inclinedsurfaces of the endfolders, which causes said folders to contract ormove toward each other to lap the ends of the former, and then, as themovement of the cam-plate is continued after the followers reach theends of their respective slots, the wedges are carried by theoscillating movement of the carriages against the top surfaces of thefolder-plates, thereby forcing the folders downwardly upon the lappedends of the former or the end folds of the blank to press the same.

As the cam-plate is moved upwardly the pressure is relieved and thewedges withdrawn, permitting the end-folders to be restored to theiridle position by means of the springs S or in any known manner.

The cam-plates may be operated in any known manner. In Fig. 7 I haveshown treadle mechanism designed for this purpose, the treadle F beingfulcrumed at one end upon a bracket F' and connected by a link F2 withan arm F3 on the shaft F4, supported in bearings upon the bed. A shorterarm F5 upon the same shaft is connected by link F6 with a cam-plate. Thetreadle is adapted to be depressed by the foot of the operator andelevated by means of a spring S', connected at opposite ends to the bedand treadle.

A stop S2, adj ust-ably secured upon the standard S3, limits the upwardmovement of the treadle.

Similar treadle mechanism may be employed for each cam-plate.

l do not wish to be limited to the relative arrangement of beds shownnor to the means shown for moving the former from one bed to another.

The beds may be disposed in any desired positions relatively to eachother, and any known means may be employed to move the former from onebed to another and accurately place the former upon the several bedssuccessively without departing from the spirit 8o of my invention.

The construction and arrangement shown and described is preferred forthe reason that it permits the employment of a second former preciselylike that above described, and which is hinged to the opposite side ofthe turret, so that when the turret is locked in position for eitherformer to be properly placed upon one of -the beds the other former willbe in position to be properly placed upon the other bed. 9o

Such a construction is shown in the drawings and permits the employmentof two operators upon the same machine, the duty of eac-h operator beingto place a blank B5 upon the adjacent bed, lower the neighboring formerupon such blank, operate the treadle to fold and press, one the ends andthe other the sides of, the blanks, and then raise the former. When ablank has thus been partly folded upon each former on two opposite sidesor endsonly, it loc is left thereon and the turret is rotated to reversethe positions of the formers and each operator completes the folding ofthe blank begun by the other, and then they simultaneously remove thetwo blanks, which have now been folded on all sides, by raising one ormore of the folded edges with the fingers until the blanks can beslipped from the formers.

I employ for the former a plate ofvsheet 11o metal which is uniformlyand relatively thin, from edge to edge and attach the same to asupporting-block B4, of wood or similar material, which is relativelythick andrrigid and extends nearly to the edge of the sheet metal. i 15When the former-plates are relatively thick and beveled to producethinner edges, as heretofore practiced, the fold cannot be fixed in theblank by pressure without first withdrawing the plate from the fold,because the thicker x 2o portion of the former plate prevents thepresser-plate from pressing upon the fold at the thin edge of theformer-plate.

By having the former-plate of uniform thickness, while relatively thin,I am able to x2 5 impart the full pressure exerted by the folders to theedge fold of the blank, whereby I am able to so fix the fold-linetherein that it will not be destroyed by raising the folded edge withthe fingers in removing the folded 13o blank from the former.

The former is detachably secured to its supporting-frame by bolts andnuts,as shown', permitting the substitution of different-sized formerswhen desired.

The folder-plates and wedge-plates are secured to theirsupporting-carriages by clampbars G and bolts G', and the several platesare slotted to receive the clamping-bolts and permit the plates to beadjusted to adapt them for use with formers or different sizes.

One of the clamp-bars is shown broken away at the left-hand side of Fig.I to show the construction of the folder-plates.

The folders can be adapted for formers of different sizes by insertingbetween the adjacent ends of the corner-plates D on each side a shortsection or plate D of a length to close the space between such endsafter the corner-plates have been adjusted.

By having the end-folders free to slide upon the bed I can produce anydesired movement of such folders by a proper adjustment ofthewedge-plates upon their supports. To secure such adjustment, the formeris lowered upon the bed and the folders placed iu the relative positionsthereto which it is desired to have them assume at the end of theirfolding movement. The wedge-plates are then placed in contact with theinclined surfaces of the folders and in this position clamped to theirsupports or carriages, the latter being held at the limit of theirinward movement. Such an adjustment is performed each time the former ischanged for the purpose of adapting the machine to fold different sizesof blanks. The blanks for a particular style of collar or cuff varygreatly in length, but not in width or end formation. The sameend-folders are therefore used for all sizes of a given style ofblank,pand in changing from one size to another the former is firstchanged, and then the end-folders are placed in proper positionrelatively to the new former and the wedge-plates adjusted upon theirsupports in the manner just described.

My improved folder-operating mechanism is adapted for use upon a singlebed, if desired.

In Fig. 8 I have shown folders adapted to fold a blank upon all foursides simultaneously and adapted to be operated by the mechanism abovedescribed in connection with either the side-folders or the end-folders.This is accomplished by making the wedges which operate the end-foldersa part of the side-folders, as shown. J J are the combined side-foldersand wedge-plates, and J J are the end-folders.

In Fig. 9 a similar construction is shown adapted to fold a blank onthree sides. In this construction the folder-plates on the fourth sideneed not be moved, but may be secured in a fixed position and themechanism for operating the same dispensed with or disconnectedtemporarily. J 2 J 2 represent the end-folders. J 3 is the movablecombined side-folder and Wedge-plate, and J 4 is the fixed side-folderand wedge-plate. In this construction the plate J4 has no function as afolder when it is secured in a fixed position, although it retains itsfunction of a wedge-plate. When the movable plate J 3 is operated, theend-folder is forced thereby against and along the inclined surface onthe fixed plate J4 in a diagonal line toward the former.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a folding-machine and in combination, two beds, a rotary turretlocated between the beds, two formers oppositely disposed upon theturret, folding and pressing mechanisms on the several beds adapted tocoperate respectively with different sides of each former, cammechanisms for operating the folding and pressing mechanisms on theseveral beds, a pair of treadles, and connections between the treadlesand cam mechanisms, whereby the machine is adapted for conjoint use bytwo operators, substantially as described.

2. In a folding-machine, the combination with a plurality of beds, andfolding mechanism on the several beds adapted to coperate respectivelywith different sidesv of a former, of a former movable from one to theother of such beds and cooperative with the folding mechanism thereonsuccessively, and means for moving the former, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a folding-machine, the combination with a plurality of beds, andfolding mechanism on the several beds adapted to cooperate respectivelywith different sides of a former, of a rotary turret locatedintermediately of the beds, and a former supported upon the turret andadapted to be carried to the beds successively, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a folding-machine, the combination with a plurality of beds, andfolding mechanism on the several beds adapted to cooperate respectivelywith different sides of a former, of a rotary turret locatedintermediately of the beds, anda plurality of formers supported upon theturret and each adapted to be carried to the several beds successively,substantially asl described.

5. In a folding-machine, ,the combination with a former, of a movablesliding folder having oppositely-inclined surfaces, a plurality ofwedge-plates separately adjustable upon suitable supports and engageablewith said inclined surfaces respectively, and means for moving thesupports to force the wedgeplates against the folder, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a folding-machine, the combination with a bed and a former, ofafolder, apivoted support for the folder movable upon the bed toward andfrom the former, a vertically-reciprocatory cam-plate having a cam-slotof limited length, a follower on the folder-sup- IOO IIO

port engageable with the Walls of the calnslot, and means forreciprocating` the eamplate, substantially as described.

7. In a folding-machine, the `Combination with a former and bed, of afolder having an inclined surfaeefa wedge engageable with said inclinedsurface and with the top surface of the folder, a support for the wedgemovable both horizontally and vertically, and

